Anthology Two Presents

Pacific City
"Under Siege"
By Jason S. Kenney

Doctor Richard Havert: "If you ask me, it's about time."

Virgil Rock: "About time for what, Doctor Havert? About time that the city went overboard in an effort to apprehend those that are trying to protect us?"

Havert: "Rock, you know as well as I do that these 'heroes' have done nothing to protect this city. Report after report shows that, statistically, these people are directly responsible for an increase in the crime rate."

Rock: "But those reports also fail to take into consideration trends across the nation, or how effective these heroes are in the apprehension of criminals. A recent report released by the National Center Of Crime Studies shows that Pacific City has an apprehension rate of 88%. Almost nine out of ten crimes are solved thanks to these heroes, a result not enjoyed by any other city in Australia."

Havert: "Apprehension is all well and good, but the purpose of law enforcement is the PREVENTION of crime, which these so called heroes are failing to do. They invite more crime as a challenge. And, need I remind you that vigilantism is still a federal crime. So the actions of these 'heroes' are crimes in and of themselves. It's about time city hall took it upon themselves to do something about these events. How many more people need to suffer because of these heroes and their egos?"

Rock: "Doctor, we must continue this discussion later, but first let me introduce today's guest. Thomas Lansing is the CEO and founder of Lansing Technologies based here in Pacific City. Good evening, Mister Lansing."

Thomas Lansing: "Good evening, Rock, Doctor Havert."

Rock: "Mister Lansing, Lansing Technology is the company responsible for the creation of the Siege Engine, am I correct?"

Lansing: "Yes, Rock. The Siege Engine is a machine designed and built by the engineers of LanTech for the express purpose of assisting law enforcement agencies in the apprehension of super powered individuals. Another weapon in the arsenal, as it were. It levels the playing field so that law enforcement officials no longer need to rely upon super powered heroes to combat a growing super villain problem."

Rock: "And how exactly does it go about that?"

Lansing: "Well, without showing our entire hand, I can say that the Engine employs many non-lethal means to neutralize the threat presented by super powers."

Havert: "Non-lethal? So the machine is not used to kill?"

Lansing: "Good gracious, no. LanTech has taken great pains to ensure that no loss of life is created by the use of this machine. It is the senseless loss of life that has necessitated its creation. We can no longer depend on the unstable powers and minds of super heroes to protect us. The Siege Engine allows us to finally take matters into our own hands when it comes to science beings."

Rock: "Has the Siege Engine had any success against science persons since it's deployment?"

Lansing: "Well, it has only been active publicly for a few days now and the way the machine works is that it takes it's time evaluating a science being before confronting it, so it hasn't apprehended anyone since its testing."

Havert: "Since it's testing?"

Lansing: "Yes, well, a demonstration of the Siege Engine's abilities was made to  Mayor Jerrod and Commissioner Jordan a few weeks back where it was successful in the apprehension of a minor powered science being. Obviously the results were very positive as the Mayor and Commissioner agreed to the use of the machine."

- The Rock Report
"Siege Engine Debate" - Episode 216
Originally Aired October 12th, 2001
Special Guests:
Doctor Richard Havert, Professor of Science Power Studies, Pacific City University
Thomas Lansing, CEO, Lansing Technologies

"Then fire me now!" shouted Officer Michael Self loud enough that his voice was heard through the door to Commissioner Jordan's office.

"Officer Self, there's no need for that," said Jordan, trying to calm the other officer down as he stood across his desk and seethed.

"What the hell is the point of a Special Power Task Force if all you're going to do is release a damn tin can to do our jobs?"

"That 'tin can' is to help you do your jobs, not replace you."

"Then where is it? Where are we? If it's supposed to be a tool, why are we not using it? Why are we cleaning up after it?"

"Michael, please."

"No, no, I will not stand here and let you demote my crew, to practically shove us off to the side because you and the mayor have a new toy at your disposal. We're damn good at what we do and we don't need any new tools to do our jobs."

"It is out of my hands, Officer Self."

"Out of your hands my ass!"

"Officer, this comes down from the mayor who is reporting directly to the federal level."

"Fuck."

Self started to pace, trying hard not to put his fist through something.

"Michael, please, the task force is still necessary. You guys are not out of a job or even changing your jobs. Consider the Siege Engine back up."

"I consider the Siege Engine a risk," said Self, stopping and looking at Jordan. "Just because it's wires and metal and a battery and made by man doesn't make it any less a risk than any other science villain. It actually makes it more."

"Officer Self, the Engine is solidly on our side."

"Call me when it goes AWOL," said Self, turning and stomping out of the office.

Millennium Man:

"Murderer! I hope they bring him to justice real quick."

"I think he's gone too far. I mean, okay, the first guy he killed probably deserved it, shooting at him and all, but to kill that unarmed guy and gal, I mean, even if they killed people and all that, it's just not... it's wrong and not right and stuff, right?"

"Millennium Man is a hero and this city owe a hell of a lot of respect to him. It's a disgrace what we're doing and what the Mayor's doing. I didn't vote for him."

"I think the police are finally doing their jobs."

"Vigilantism can not be tolerated. We have laws and police for a reason and anyone who decides they're above the law really needs to be brought back down to earth."

"Is this going to be on TV? Oh, wow, um, well, I think he needs to kinda calm down and stuff but that the police should really take it easy on him."

"If it weren't for him, Pacific Tower would still be standing and no one would have died. I hope the catch the son of a *bleep* and put him away for a long time."

"The Siege Engine is *bleep*in' bad *bleep*! Man, it's a robot with, like, guns and *bleep* and it's going to kick the *bleep* out of that MM punk *bleep* *bleep*. Ninja style! HEYAH!!!! *bleep* straight."

"Millennium Man saved my life once, and I'm eternally grateful for what he has done for me and for this city."

"I met him once. Yeah, he's not all that great and a bore. Huge ego. And a horrible lay."

The water was cold as she splashed it on her face, its effect exactly what she wanted.

Her eyes sprung open and stared at the strange face in the mirror, the face that was so new to her yet so old, so well known.

What had she become?

Only a year and a half before her life was set. Yes, the loss of her father was great, but she had everything else going for her. She was wealthy, well known, ran two successful businesses, could have had any man she wanted, and had all the free time in the world to do as she pleased.

So much had changed in the last eighteen months.

He eyes traveled from the eyes that starred back at her in the mirror to the reflection of the object around her neck.

Dark and harsh, the scarab hung there like an omen, though she was not sure of what. The power it held frightened and amazed her at the same time, those conflicting emotions driving her desire to use it once more, to find out what it could truly do, or to hide it, run from it, bury it so deep that no one would ever find it.

She quickly clutched it with her right hand, her eyes returning to those of the reflection.

God, what a difference time makes.

She let the scarab go and left the bathroom, shedding her robe as she walked and letting it fall to the floor. She went to her closet and threw the doors open.

As soon as she looked she knew it was missing.

She turned and headed towards her bedroom door, leaning and reaching down to scoop up the robe and bringing it over her shoulders and arms without missing a step. She tied the waistband tight and opened her door and stepped into the hallway.

"ALFONSE!" she shouted, stomping towards the stairs. She stopped at the top, looking down and across the spiral staircase and into the vast greeting area of Burke Mansion. A man dressed in a fine tuxedo stood straight in the center of the room, his hands clasped behind his back, his stare up at Victoria Burke.

"Your costume is currently being mended as it was in no condition for you to be wearing it, Miss Burke."

"Where's the spare?"

"It is being cleaned, Miss Burke."

She started down the stairs, a harsh glare sticking to Alfonse's face.

"Cleaned? It wasn't even dirty."

"I felt the need to clean it, Miss Burke," said Alfonse, staying still and keeping his eyes locked with Victoria's.

"Really?" She reached the bottom of the steps and walked face to face with Alfonse. "I want my costume now."

"They are unavailable at this moment, Miss Burke," said Alfonse, unmoving.

Victoria Burke disappeared from sight.

Alfonse stood there for a moment, waiting a few seconds before audibly clearing his throat.

"You will not find them, Miss Burke," said Alfonse loudly but not quite in a shout.

She appeared in the doorway to the kitchen to the mansion. "Where are they, Alfonse?"

"I think you need a day off, Toria," Alfonse said.

With a growl, Victoria disappeared again.

Alfonse remained in the center of the room, staring straight forward, waiting.

Victoria reappeared next to him, leaning close to his face.

"How many times are you going to betray me this week, Alfonse?" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"You are betraying yourself, Victoria," said Alfonse.

"Manly is nothing to me," she said, her breath warm on Alfonse's ear.

"He is your father's legacy, Toria," said Alfonse, turning his head to look at her. "And he is doing the best he can."

"He is just as responsible for my father's death as Charlie fucking Winters!" she shouted, stepping back a bit, tears coming down her cheeks. "How dare you allow him and that MURDERER into MY HOUSE!"

"You are been very stressed as of late, Toria, please," said Alfonse as he stepped to Victoria and reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder. "You need a break."

"NO!" she said, pulling her arm away from Alfonse and stepping back as well. "No. I want my costume, I want it now."

"I am afraid I can not do that, Miss Burke," said Alfonse, clasping his hands behind his back again.

With a look of hate not much different than that of a scorned child, Victoria disappeared again.

A snicker and then a shush broke through the silence of the night outside of Trinity Jewelers in downtown Pacific City.

Then there was silence again.

Two men crouched in the alley beside the store, both eyeing the back entrance.

"Do your thing, Merc," said one. The other man nodded.

Merc's body suddenly dropped into a puddle on the ground. The other beaded up and stayed for a moment, then moved towards the door and into the cracks around it. Then it was gone.

Once inside, the puddle stopped just on the other side of the door and suddenly reformed into the man that used to be on the outside. He turned and studied the locks on the door. He touched his finger to one, the tip elongating and seeming to melt into the keyhole of the lock. He wiggled is finger for a moment and then smiled at the sound of the click. He did this again and again until every lock was undone.

"Beautiful, Merc," said the man on the other side as the door swung open.

"As always, Jack," said Merc with a smile.

The smile quickly faded as Merc watched a box behind Jack crush under the weight of...

...nothing?

Jack looked over his shoulder to follow the other man's gaze.

"What's up, Merc?" asked Jack.

Suddenly, Jack was tossed into the air and down the alley, landing in a dumpster which convieniently closed overtop of him.

Merc backed away, but didn't know what to do.

Nothing was there.

"Stay back!" he shouted at the open air.

He quickly turned into a puddle and tried to ooze towards the door.

Then the air flickered and split, a being suddenly appearing just outside the doorway.

Almost three meters tall, the thing stood silhouetted by the moon and street lights from outside, a cloak flowing behind it, obscuring any way out.

Merc's liquid form stopped and tried to pull back, but a dart cut from the thing's arm and into the center of the puddle that was Merc.

An electrical charge followed.

Merc screamed as he reformed his body, the voltage traveling through him and causing his muscles to tighten and ache.

The thing yanked the dart out of Merc and retracted it, Merc's body easing and resting on the ground as he panted for air. The thing stooped and turned slightly, bringing it's bulk into Trinity's and then standing upright, it's head almost scraping the ceiling.

"WALTER WEST, ALSO KNOWN AS MERC, ALSO KNOWN AS MERCURY, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR ONE COUNT BREAKING AND ENTERING; ONE COUNT ATTEMPTED ROBERY; ONE COUNT USE OF METAHUMAN POWERS IN THE EXECUTION A CRIME," said a metallic voice from the thing.

"Holy shit, what the hell..." started Merc.

The machine extended an arm towards Merc.

"YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT," said the Siege Engine as a flash shot from its hand.

The man sat on the roof with his head between his knees and tried to gasp for air. The mask wasn't helping, that was for sure, but he wasn't about to remove it.

That was against the rules.

He knew he needed exercise, he knew he could afford to lose a few pounds, but he knew the city couldn't wait. And with the absence of one of its heroes, HIS hero, it was deeply troubled and someone had to fill in where he left off.

With a hard swallow, he pushed himself to his feet and approached the edge of the roof and looked around. The streets were empty this time of night, and part of him was thankful.

Sure, while he was trying to play the part of a hero, he certainly didn't want to put himself at undue risk. That could be dangerous.

Then there was a noise. A slight cry and then a crash. He turned and tried to run towards the source of the noise, his run quickly turning into a jog and then a fast power walk. He climbed down the building's fire escape and to the street below, continuing towards the source of the noise. He came around the corner and was momentarily blinded by a flash that emitted from an open door in the alley.

He gathered the strength to try and run again and made his way down the alley, stopping when he heard a stomp and then another. A can near the open door way suddenly crushed under the weight of the air, or so it seemed. His breath caught in his throat and he took a step back, preparing for whatever was about to happen.

This is it, he thought to himself, my big moment. Don't screw it up.

But nothing happened. He waited another fifteen seconds.

Nothing.

Thirty seconds later and there was still nothing.

Slowly and cautiously he stepped forward and to the can. He kicked it and it tumbled back through the alley.

He looked into the open door and saw a man lying on the floor unconscious. He quickly turned as he heard a groan from further down the alley and he walked further on down and stopped by a dumpster. He stood on his toes as he lifted the lid and looked inside.

Another man lie in there, this one stirring slightly, but still out cold.

He dropped the lid as sirens pierced the sky and he looked down to the opening of the alley.

"Shit," he said, and he scrambled to a nearby fire escape and started his climb, getting to the roof just in time to see the cops arriving to the scene. He watched for a moment and then decided he'd had enough for one night and went on home.

And so it came to pass that the man wearing a Dick Cheney mask spent his fight night as a superhero doing absolutely nothing.

"Clean up duty," said Officer Michael Self as he watched the other police officers guide the two would be crooks to the squad cars. "Peters," said Self, turning to another officer who escorted the scene, "get your partner and get out of here, we don't need the whole Task Force on out here."

"Yes, sir," said Officer Jonathan Peters as he stepped inside the Trinity Jewelers store.

"God damn clean up duty," Self grumbled again, kicking a crushed can down the alley.

"I don't like what it's doing," Thomas Lansing said just above a whisper as he hovered over his coffee.

"It's doing its job," said Richard Siefret as he leaned back.

The two men sat in a relatively empty Pacific Diner during the early morning hours.

"It's job?" said Lansing. "It's going to kill someone, or get someone killed. Those two kids it killed when it was apprehending that Bush guy..."

"It couldn't anticipate that," said Siefret.

"But I want it to be able to. It's supposed to be able to. And now, with those damn retractable cannons in its arms, we're looking at whole new variables. I'd have liked more time to test those."

"You'd test the thing to death if you had your way, Tom," said Siefret with a smirk. Lansing didn't smile.

"And the cape or the cloak or whatever you want to call it," said Lansing. "We didn't even have time to test how that effects its physical capabilities or even the sensors."

"Tom, please," said Siefret, leaning forward, "calm down. Everything is doing fine and it will keep doing fine."

"It's only a matter of time," said Lansing, leaning back. "Christ, and fucking Jerrod throwing me to the wolves..."

"You're the best public face for the thing, Tom," said Siefret, "we all agreed on that when the Mayor asked for the thing."

"But I'm not so sure now, I mean, with everything. I don't want my name attached to something I can't control."

"Everything's fine, Tom, everything's perfect."

A waitress stopped by the table and sat two plates down in front of Lansing and Siefret.

"Thanks," said Lansing.

"Hey," said the waitress, recognizing Lansing, "weren't you on the television?"

Open with view of KGPC reporter Nick George:

"In a statement to the press last night, Mayor Cliff Jerrod reiterated his promise to the people of Pacific City to keep them safe."

Cut to view of Mayor standing at podium. He speaks:

"We can not allow vigilantism to run rampant in our city or we allow ourselves to become complacent in our own protection. We cannot allow ourselves to rely upon these science beings when they cannot be trusted. Twice in the last month we have stood by while Millennium Man himself has killed at least three people that should have been peacefully apprehended.

"As I promised when you all elected me, I will keep Pacific City and her people safe from all dangers, whether they are obvious or obscured by a mask. I can not allow this city and it's future be dictated by the lawlessness and carelessness of a few who feel they are above the law."

Cut back to KGPC reporter Nick George:

"And while the Mayor continues to garner very favorable ratings in recent polls, the people of Pacific City are divided in their response to the measures he has taken.

"While fifty four percent of those surveyed support the use of this 'Siege Engine' by the police to apprehend all science beings, heroes and otherwise, thirty one percent feel that the police were doing a fine enough job in protecting the city while another fifteen percent supports the science heroes within the city.

"Overall, when asked whether or not they feel safe with science heroes patrolling the streets, only thirty eight of Pacific City's residents said they felt safe while sixty percent said they did not. This is a drastic difference from a week ago, before Millennium Man reportedly killed two more villains, when there was a forty eight, forty seven split for and against, which was down from before the incident when Millennium Man killed James Finnegan where sixty eight percent of those polled felt safe while only twenty four did not..."

Doctor William Tage stood at the end of the hall with two other men, one on each side of him. The three of them watched as two police officers escorted a glass tube down the hall, the man inside the tube glaring angrily at everything.

"Got another one for you, Doc," said one of the officers as they stopped a few yards from Doctor Tage. "One Walter West, age thirty four, also known as..."

"Merc," said Tage, "yes, I've heard of him before."

Doctor Tage approached the tube and looked at the man inside.

"Hello, Mister West," Tage said. "Welcome to Alhazred Asylum."

The man in the tube simply glared back at Doctor Tage

Tage looked over his shoulder and nodded. The two other men approached the tube and took over where the officers left off, escorting it through the double doors at the end of the hallway and into the bowels of Alhazred.

"God, Doc," said the first officer, "how many nutcases you got in there?"

"Too many, officer," said Tage as he took the clipboard from the officer and signed it.

"We're only getting warmed up," said the second officer with a smirk.

"Don't worry, Officer," said Tage, handing the clip board back, "we have more than enough room."

He waited until he could no longer see the tail lights of the squad car as it traveled down the road.

Alfonse stepped from the car and straightened up his coat and then his bow tie. He inhaled deeply and sighed, hoping he wasn't making the wrong decision.

But someone had to do something.

He pushed his chin up and out in an effort to stretch his neck and closed his eyes.

It had been a long time since he did this.

He concentrated and then opened his eyes.

He looked in the rear view mirror to his car and saw nothing reflecting back to him but the trees and sky behind him.

Like riding a bicycle.

He smiled and, with a nod, started walking down the road towards Alhazred Asylum.

Notes:

This story takes place during the events of Millennium Man #10 and 11 and before Bush43 #7. "Under Siege" stands as a companion volume to those issues.

This issue is filler for the Siege Engine arc taking place in Millennium Man and Bush43. There is so much to tell and only so much space and so many issues to tell it in that Jac and I decided an Anthology Two issue would be handy to help tell the story of the city during these events. It also helps to reestablish some bit characters in the city that might not get much face time in regular issues.